Stanley Tucci Details Celebrating the Holidays with His Young Kids: 'Santa Claus Is Still Very Much Alive' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Stanley Tucci.Photo:Matt Holyoak

Matt Holyoak

ForStanley Tucci, seeing the magic ofChristmasthrough the eyes of his young children is a feeling like no other.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, the actor, 63, opens up about celebrating the holiday season with his brood, including his two young kids — sonMatteo Oliver, 9, and daughterEmilia Giovanna, 6, whom he shares with wifeFelicity Blunt.

“The whole idea ofSanta Clausis still very much alive, and I love that. It makes it 10 times better, more than 10 times better,” says Tucci, who is working withS.Pellegrinoto launch his own namesake cheese “cake.”

“I love Christmas, especially with little kids,” continuesThe Devil Wears Pradastar. “I love decorating the house, decorating the tree with the kids.”

“My other kids are older, and it’s nice to see them with the younger kids now,” adds Tucci, who isalso a dadto twins Isabel and Nicolo, 24, and daughter Camilla, 21, with his late wifeKate Tucci, who died of breast cancer in 2009. “It just makes me very, very happy.”

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Nicolo Tucci, Camilla Tucci, Stanley Tucci and Isabel Tucci in May 2015.David M. Benett/Getty

David M. Benett/Getty

According to Tucci, celebrating the holiday season looks a little different nowadays, given that he and his wife are not located in the United States.

“I live in England, so we don’t haveThanksgiving, but we celebrate it anyway,” he explains. “For Christmas, we’re usually with my family and my wife’s family, and then the British here doBoxing Day, which we don’t do in America. But it’s just another day of eating and getting together.”

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Although Tucci says that being across the pond does alter how he celebrates the holidays, he details that he and his family always mark the time together with traditions that harken back to his roots.

“They don’t do the Christmas Eve thing as much as we do in America, or at least in Italian families,” he states. “Christmas Eve is a big deal. That’s when you’re going to eat mostly fish or pasta or something — but definitely fish — and the next day you’ll have some sort of roast or something like that.”

Stanley Tucci in October 2022.David Levenson/Getty Images

David Levenson/Getty Images

This holiday season, Tucci hopes that families like his can celebrate with tasty meals and delicious desserts — including his limited-edition layered “cake” made of cheese.

The S.Pellegrino & Stanley Tucci’s Holiday Cheese ‘Cake.'.Evan Kalman

Evan Kalman

He adds, “It’s a really nice thing to have on your table as a decorative thing that you can then eat when you finish your meal.”

Starting Thursday, Oct. 10, fans canregisterfor a sale reminder on the Murray’s Cheese website, before the cheese “cake” officially goes on sale for $85 on Monday, Nov. 11.

source: people.com